Window-shade fixture.



V A. HOLMES.

WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE. APPLICATION nun 1'33. 20, 1907.

' 904,536. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

2 EEBETB-SHEET 1.

A. HOLMES. WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE. nrmonmn mm mm. 20, 1001.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

sinus-sum 2.

ALEXANDER HOLMES, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

WINDOW-SHADE FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed February 20, 1907. Serial No. 358,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER HOLMES, citizen of the United States,residing at Eureka, county of Humboldt, State of California, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in lVindow-Shade Fixtures,and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to window shades and more particularlyto shades the rollers of which are adjustable vertically with respect tothe windows.

It is frequently desirable that light should be admitted through theupper part of a window and excluded from the lower part thereof, or thatlight should be merely excluded from the window intermediate of its topand bottom. Various supporting means for window shade rollers haveheretofore been devices for vertically adjusting the po sition of ashade roller relatively to the Window for the purpose of admitting anyrequired amount of light through the window whether above or below theshade roller. In such shade fixtures devised prior to my invention forraising and lowering spring actuated shade rollers it has been necessaryto provide vertically movable frames for supporting the shade rollers inaddition to the usual supporting journals of the rollers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a window shade fixturefor vertically adjusting the shade roller relatively to the window whichwill be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture and efficientin use.

A further object of my invention is to provide avertically adjustablewindow shade roller, the weight of which will be counterbalanced so asto facilitate the raising and lowering of the shade roller.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a verticallyadjustable window shade fixture which will require no supporting framein addition to a central shaft upon which the roller is rotatablymounted and between which and the roller the usual spring is interposed.

My invention may be generally described as comprising an extensible rodupon which a shade roller is rotatably mounted, a spring surrounding therod and connected at its opposite ends to the rod and to the roller,gravity pawls carried by one end of the roller adapted to engage notchesmovable with the rod, gears fixed upon the ends of the rod engagingvertical racks fixed to the window casing, a bracket detachably engagingone end of the rod to which a counter-balance is connected and to whichis also connected means for drawing the roller downwardly against theaction of the counter balance.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which the same is illustrated as embodiedin a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure 1 is a frontelevational view of a window showing my invention applied thereto; Fig.2 a sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a sectional view on line3-3 Fig. 1 Fig. 4 a horizontal sectional view through the shade rollerdetached from the window casing; Fig. 5 an end elevational view look ingfrom the right in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a sectional view on line 66 Fig. 4;Fig. 7 a sectional view on line 77 Fig. 4; Fig. 8 a sectional view online 88 Fig. 4; Fig. 9 a central sectional View through thecounterbalance; and Fig. 10 a view similar to Fig. 5 showing amodification.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

Reference character A indicates a window frame of any ordinary 01' usualconstruction comprising vertical side frames A and A B and B designateracks secured to the side frames of the casing by any suitable fasteningdevices. The racks are preferably made of sheet metal bent as indicatedin Fig. 3 so as to provide a central portion which is secured to thevertical side frames of the window casing from which the racks extendinwardly from the inner edges thereof, and from which flanges b and Z)respectively extend inwardly from the front edges.

C designates a window shade secured upon a spring roller which may berotated to unwind or wind up the shade. The roller is shown asextensible in length so that it may be adjusted to conform to the widthof the window upon which it is to be used.

Reference characters F and F indicate two telescopic portions of aroller the former of which may be made of wood while the latter ispreferably made of sheet metal, as clearly shown in Fig. at.

A rod extends concentrically through the shade roller and is alsopreferably extensible in length. The rod is shown as comprising twotelescopic port-ions E and E composed of tubular sheet metal and havingregistering longitudinal grooves and ribs 6 to prevent relative rotationof the two united parts. Secured within the opposite ends of theportions E and E of the rod, and forming part of such rod, are studs 6and 6 upon which the roller is rotatably supported.

0 and C designate gears fixed upon the studs 0 and c of the rod adjacentthe outer ends of the roller. The gears may be conveniently secured uponthe ends of the rod by means of interiorly screw-threaded hubs on thegears engaging eXteriorly screwthreaded portions on the ends of therods. The gears are adapted to engage the racks B and B and are retainedin such engagement by means of the ends 0 and c of the rod which liewithin and are guided by the flanges Z) and b on the racks.

F designates a spring surrounding the rod and secured at one end to therod and at its other end to the shade roller. The end of the springwhich is secured to the shade roller is preferably engaged with ears 9,and 9 formed on the inner surface of the end cap G of the shade roller.The ear g extends inwardly and is engaged by a hook f formed on the endof the spring while the ears 9 and g extend outwardly and are en gagedby the first convolution of the spring thereby permitting the spring tobe readily attached to the roller.

(Z, (Z designate gravity pawls secured to the outer surface of the endcap G of the roller and are adapted to cotiperate with notches (Zcarried by the rod, such notches being preferably formed in the hub ofthe gear C H designates a bracket having a hook l1, thereon adapted todetachably engage the end 0 of the rod, the end of the rod rotatablyengaging such bracket. A rod J is secured to the bracket H in anyconvenient manner, as by means of screw-threads on the upper end of therod engaging screw-threaded ears j on the bracket. The rod J dependsfrom the bracket to a convenient point to be grasped by one desiring toraise or lower the shade roller. The rod J passes through a clampingdevice K secured to the window casing such clamping device comprising aclamp screw in adapted to engage the rod to retain the same in anydesired adjusted posi tion according to the desired height of the shaderoller.

A counter balance is provided for facilitating the raising of the shaderoller, such counter balance being shown as comprising a circular casingL secured by means of perforated ears Z to the top of the window cas ingabove the bracket H. A spring M is inclosed within the casing and issecured at its inner end to a fixed stud Z within the center of thecasing and at its outer end to a drum L rotatably supported within theeasing. one end to the drum L and at its lower end to the bracket H.

The manner of applying my improvement to a window and the operationthereof are as follows: The roller, and coincidcntly the rod within thesame are adjusted in length to correspond to the width of the windowframe to which the racks B and B have been applied. lVhen the roller androd have been adjusted to the proper length the gears C and C areengaged with the bottom notches in the racks and the shade roller movedupwardly by rotating the same. The bracket H is then engaged with theend C of the roller supporting rod so that the hook it will extend aboutthe end of the rod as shown in Fig. 5. If the counter balance isemployed the lower end of the flexible connection N is then secured tothe bracket H. lVhen it is desired to raise the shade roller the clampscrew Z: is disengaged from the rod J whereupon either an upwardpressure applied to the rod J or the tension of the spring of thecounter balance, will exert an upward pull upon the roller supportingrod so that the shade roller will be elevated through the engagement ofthe gear wheels C and C with the racks B and B hen the roller has beenraised to the desired position the clamp screw it: is engaged with therod J thereby securely retaining the shade roller at the desired height.When it is desired to lower the shade roller so as to admit lightthrough the upper part of the window a downward pull is applied to therod J which through the hook 7a. of the bracket H exerts a clownwardpressure on the roller supporting rod so that the roller is loweredthrough the engagement of the gears with the racks.

In lieu of providing a rod J and bracket- H, a cord J 2 as shown in Fig.10, may be used for exerting downward pull upon the roller supportingrod. In Fig. 1.0 H indicates a bracket detachably surrounding the end 0of the rod and having an ear ]L2 from which the cord J depends and alsoany ear h to which the lower end of the cord N of the counter balance issecured.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have inventedan improved shade roller fixture by means of which the A flexibleconnection N is secured atteases" shade may be located at any desiredheight with respect to the window and in which no supporting frame forthe shade roller is required, the rod upon which the roller is rotatablymounted serving to adjustably support the roller upon the window casing.It will be further observed that in my improved shade roller fixture theweight of the wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as Icontemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and thesubstitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest, or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a window shade roller, of a. rod around whichsaid roller is rotatably supported and having notches movable therewith,a spring surrounding said rod within the roller and connected at itsopposite ends to said rod and to said roller respectively, gravity pawlscarried by said roller adapted to engage said notches, gears fixed uponthe ends of said rod, racks engaged by said gears and secured to thewindow casing, means for exerting an upward or downward pull upon saidrod whereby it is rotated through the engagement of said gears with saidracks and the shade roller thereby raised or lowered, and means forcausing said rod to be retained in any adjusted position desired.

2. The combination with a window shade roller, 01" a rod around whichsaid roller is rotatably supported and having notches movable therewith,a spring surrounding said rod within the roller and connected at itsopposite ends to said-rod and to said roller respectively, gravity pawlscarried by said .roller adapted to engage said notches, gears fixed uponthe ends of said rod, racks engaged by said gears and secured to thewindow casing, a counter balance connected to said rod for raising thesame, means for exerting a downward pull upon said rod whereby the rodis rotated through engagement of said gears with said racks and theshade roller thereby raised or lowered, and means for causing said rodto be retained in any adjusted position desired.

8. The combination with a window shade roller, of a rod around whichsaid roller is rotatably supported and having notches movable therewith,a spring surrounding said rod within the roller and connected at itsopposite ends to said rod and to said roller respectively, gravity pawlscarried by said roller adapted to engage said notches, gears fixed uponthe ends of said rod, racks engaged by said gears and secured to thewindow casing, a bracket detachably engaging one end of said rod, meansconnected to said bracket for exerting an upward or downward pull uponsaid rod whereby it is rotated through the engagement of said gears withsaid racks and the said roller thereby raised or lowered, and means forcausing said rod to be retained in any adjusted position desired.

4. The combination with a window shade roller, of a rod around whichsaid roller is rotatably supported and having notches movable therewith,a spring surrounding said rod within the roller and connected at itsopposite ends to said rod and to said roller respectively, gravity pawlscarried by said roller adapted to engage said notches, gears fixed uponthe ends of said rod, racks engaged by said gears and secured to thewindow casing, a bracket detachably engaging an end of said rod, acounter balance connected to said rod, means connected to said bracketfor exerting a downward pull upon said rod whereby said rod is rotatedthrough the engagement of said gears with said racks and the shaderoller thereby raised or lowered and means for causing said rod to beretained in any adjusted position desired.

The combination with a window shade roller, of a rod around which saidroller is rotatably supported, a spring surrounding said rod within theroller and connected at its opposite ends to said rod and to said rollerrespectively, gravity pawls carried by said roller, gears fixed upon theends of said rod, a hub on one of said gears having recesses with whichsaid pawls cooperate, racks engaged by said gears and secured to thewindow casing, means for exerting an upward or downward pressure uponsaid rod whereby it is rotated through engagement of said gears withsaid racks and the said roller thereby raised or lowered, and means forcausing said rod to be retained in any adjusted position desired.

6. The combination with a longitudinally extensible window shade roller,of a longitudinally extensible rod around which said roller is rotatablysupported, a spring surrounding said rod within the roller and connectedat one end to said rod, and at its other end to said roller, gravitypawls carried by said roller, gears fixed upon the ends of said rod, ahub on one of said gears having recesses with which said pawlscooperate, racks engaged by said gears secured to the window casing, abracket detachably engaging one end of said rod, a counter balance Intestimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER HOLMES.

\Vitnesses GEO. L. VVILKINsoN, RUBY V. NASH.

